Homework Help:
Chosing to stop or accelerate through a traffic light

1. A person driving her car at 47 km/h approaches an intersection just as the traffic light turns yellow. She knows that the yellow light lasts only 2.0 s before turning to red, and she is 30 m away from the near side of the intersection (Fig. 2-29). Should she try to stop, or should she make a run for it? The intersection is 15 m wide. Her car's maximum deceleration is -5.6 m/s2, whereas it can accelerate from 47 km/h to 70 km/h in 6.9 s. Ignore the length of her car and her reaction time.

If she hits the brakes, how far will she travel before stopping?
If she hits the gas instead, how far will she travel before the light turns red?